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Thyroid Diseases

Graves' Disease and Travel Overseas

04/25/2006

Question:

I have been diagnosed with Graves' disease for about a year now and am stabalized well on Methimazole. I was taking beta blockers but haven`t needed them in the last 4 months or so. I am looking at taking a two week trip to Central Asia this summer and am wondering what the likelihood of acute worsening of Graves' disease would be on a patient whose levels are controlled and decreasing. Does being in hot weather tend to make symptoms worse?

Answer:

Hot weather doesn't worsen Graves' disease.  If Graves' disease is untreated, it can make you feel hot - and then travelling to a hot climate could make you feel even worse.  However, if your Graves' disease is under good control and you take your pills faithfully, I see no reason why traveling to Central Asia should make you get worse.

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Response by:

Thomas A Murphy, MD, FACP, FACE Thomas A Murphy, MD, FACP, FACE
Associate Professor of Medicine
School of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University